In the mid-1980's, Hollywood became nostalgic for the teenage world of the 1950's/early 1960's. (Baby-boomer screenwriters and directors looking back on their youth.) This nostalgic fixation peaked in 1985 when "Back to the Future," "Heaven Help Us," "Porky's Revenge" and "Mischief" appeared in theaters. While the first two films owed significantly to George Lucas' "American Graffiti" with their attempting to recapture the "lost world" of 1950's/1960's, the latter two were obvious grabs at the audience that had made 1982's raunchy "Porky's" a surprise hit.Like "Porky's," the 1950's setting of "Mischief" is just window-dressing. Play a bunch of 50's rock songs on the soundtrack, get some old cars, put girls in poodle-skirts, saddle-shoes, and ponytails and have all the guys dressed to fit stereotypes: mean jocks wear letter-sweaters, cool cats in leather jackets and t-shirts, and nerds wear rolled-up pants and sweater vests. Yet, remove all the above and "Mischief" could be set in 1985 and not miss a beat. It's just 1980's actors in 50's costumes with no real attempt to bring the era to life. "American Graffiti" this is not.The plot: nerdy, Ohio high-school student Jonathan (Doug McKeon) befriends new "cool" kid, "Gene" (Chris Nash), who shows Jonathan the ropes into making-it with the ladies. Jonathan has a crush on "Marilyn" (Kelly Preston)- the hottest girl in the school- and with Gene's advice he's eventually able to bed her, but then realizes that he doesn't actually know her. What a revelation! It seems that the whole point of the movie was to briefly reveal Mrs. Travolta's assets on film in a tacky, awkward sex scene ala "Porky's." (Despite living in the supposedly "Puritanical" 1950's, Marilyn noticeably has no tan lines.) Oh, there are also subplots with Gene wooing another pretty girl, fighting her jerk-jock wanna-be boyfriend, and dealing with his rotten dad (a youngish looking Terry O'Quinn)."Mischief" is not good. Chris Nash's career fizzled-out for good reason. He couldn't really act. And "Mischief" proved that Doug McKeon, who had been a promising child actor, didn't have the presence to move into leading-man roles. It is never really explained how the runty and rather obnoxious Jonathan (Gene's advice transforms him into a creep) is able to win-over Marilyn who is clearly out of his league. I guess we're just supposed to accept it because Jonathan is the main character and the main character must get the girl. Lazy screen-writing. And by film's end, Jonathan is about to land the stunning Jami Gertz (who has a small role as the "geeky girl"- yeah, right.) It's just nerd fantasyland.Overall, "Mischief" is a cheesy 80's teen sex-comedy that isn't either funny or touching. Instead, it was a very shallow and calculated cash-grab to latch onto the "Porky's" gravy-train. (Some legacy. The "Porky's" franchise were abysmal films and just as forgotten, but, at least, they were somewhat original.)

Mischief (1985): Dir: Mel Damski / Cast: Doug McKeon, Chris Nash, Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelly Preston, D.W. Brown: Set in 1956 wrapped in rock and roll music, diners, juke boxes, and chasing girls brandishing ribbons in their hair. Doug McKeon plays Johnathan Bellah in total 50's nerd appeal. He becomes fast friends with the cool biker Gene, played by Chris Nash. They both have their sights on a couple females. Gene decides to assist Johnathan with his inability to communicate with women. Directed by Mel Damski who previously made Yellowbeard. Here he captures the 50's in all its free spirited innocence. The screenplay is detailed with the exception of an ending that doesn't quite gel. McKeon plays off the awkward nature of Jonathan whose quest for girls lands him in comedic situations in the face of adults. Nash as Gene establishes a friendship with an unlikely source and finds himself struggling more than Jonathan. Catherine Mary Stewart plays Bunny who Gene has his sights on but her bully of a boyfriend takes a disliking to this. Kelly Preston as Marilyn is Jonathan's fancy to the point where Preston has her famous nude scene while her parents are out. Other characters are mere clichés and types that join the formula. Reckless humour throughout with a picture of 50's innocence that turns out not to be so innocent. It conceals the mischief behind all the picket fences. Score: 7 ½ / 10

Teen sex comedies are a dime a dozen. Seen one, seen them all more or less. Hollywood never tires of churning out these movies but it is very rare that one of them sets itself apart from the pack in any way. Such is the case with Mischief. This was one of the first of the genre and that, along with its 1950s setting, makes it at least a little bit different from what we see nowadays. A little sweeter than today's teenage sex romps. And certainly a lot less raunchy. It's just endearing enough that you can consider it to be at least a modest success. Nothing spectacular to be sure but it's OK.Set in Ohio in 1956 Mischief tells the story of introverted, socially awkward Jonathan. He desperately wants to hook up with his classmate Marilyn. She's the town's resident teenage goddess. Every town has one. Well every movie town does at least. Of course Jonathan's got no shot with Marilyn. But then Gene comes along. He's the cool new kid in town and he takes Jonathan under his wing, teaching him the tricks of wooing the ladies. Jonathan sets about winning over Marilyn while Gene goes for Bunny. Bunny's the girlfriend of Kenny, the mean kid in town. So we've gathered all the teenage sex comedy clichés together. The nerd, the unattainable hot chick, the cool kid, the mean kid, the mean kid's girlfriend who stays with him even though she really knows better. And floating around the periphery of the movie throughout we have Rosalie, the nice but unattractive girl who could probably be hot if she tried. Toss all these characters together and watch them interact more or less as they do in every teen movie you've ever seen, with our nerdy hero finding that what you want and what you need may be two different things.Mischief is charming enough. But it's never really funny enough to be considered a great movie. For a supposed comedy there certainly are plenty of sizable gaps between laughs. The performances are all pretty good, all the actors fit their clichéd roles well. Doug McKeon's suitably nerdy as Jonathan. Chris Nash is totally cool as Gene. And if in 1985 you were looking for an actress to play a teen goddess you couldn't do any better than the impossibly beautiful Kelly Preston. Perhaps the best thing the movie has going for it is its soundtrack, those classic 1950s rock and roll tunes fit the story perfectly. Unfortunately that story is so similar to so many other movies of this genre that it's hard for Mischief to stand out. It's a reasonably enjoyable movie though. As teen comedies go there have been better but there have certainly been a lot worse.

There's a natural wholesomeness to MISCHIEF, even if it does include the kind of sex scene you'd never see in a '40s film, but even so it comes across as surprisingly fresh and natural with a '50s soundtrack of pop songs that fill the background score in appropriate fashion.Acted with zest and skill, it's the tale of a love-struck teen (DOUG McKEON) and his high school romance with one of the prettiest girls (KELLY PRESTON). McKeon's cool best friend is played with style by CHRIS NASH. There's a nice comic flavor to the whole story and a satisfying conclusion when the town bully (D.W. BROWN) gets his comeuppance from an angry McKeon who smashes his Studebaker into Brown's fancy red sports car (front and rear) to make a mess out of it. "That's for Marilyn!" he tells the bully, before he drives off to find a date with someone else.It reminded me of an updated MARGIE ('46) in which Jeanne Crain was the gal in a coming of age story about flaming youth of the '20s. But whereas that film was strictly wholesome with a capital "W", MISCHIEF is grounded in the more realistic mid-'80s with language and sex scenes considerably more risqué than allowed in an earlier period. Still, it manages not to offend and is an enjoyable comedy played with a natural flair for comedy by a talented young cast.With '50s songs like "The Great Pretender" and "Don't Be Cruel" on the soundtrack, it has an authentic '50s flavor that gives it added credibility.